Untitled - Frederick Delius

The Delius SocieQ
T7
JOUrnAt
Summer/Autumn1992,Number 109
The Delius Sociefy
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President
Eric FenbyOBE,Hon D Mus.Hon D Litt. Hon RAM. FRCM,Hon FTCL
VicePresidents
Felix Aprahamian Hon RCO
Roland Gibson MSc, PhD (FounderMember)
Meredith DaviesCBE, MA. B Mus. FRCM, Hon RAM
Norman Del Mar CBE. Hon D Mus
VernonHandley MA, FRCM, D Univ (Surrey)
Sir CharlesMackerrasCBE
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Ti,easurer
whom
membership
enquiriesshould be directed]
[to
Derek Cox
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JonathanMaddox
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Editor
StephenLloyd
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CONTENTS
'The
others are just harpers . .': an afternoon with Sidonie Goossens
b y S t e p h e nL l o y d . . . .
Frederick Delius: Air and Dance.An historical note
by Robert Threlfall..
B e a t r i c eH a r r i s o n a n d D e l i u s ' s C e l l o M u s i c
by Julian Lloyd Webber....
l0
T h e D e l i u s M o n u m e n t d e d i c a t e da t t h e 2 3 r d A n n u a l F e s t i v a l
by Thomas Hilton Gunn........
t4
Fennimoreancl Gerda: the New York premidre............
l1
A Village Romeo anrl Juliet: BBC2
by Henry Gi1es.........
-Opera
Season'
.............18
Record Reviews
......................
2l
Paris eIc. (BSO. Hickox)
...........
2l
Sea Drift etc. (WNOO. Mackerras),..........
V i o l i n C o n c e r t o e t c .( L i t t l e . W N O O O . M a c k e r r a s ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2
V i o l i n C o n c e r t o e t c . ( P o u g n e t .R P O . B e e c h a m )
. . . . . . . . . . . .2. .3. .
.-................25
Hassan,Sea Drift etc. (RPO. Beecham) . .
T H E H A R R I S O N S I S T E R S W o r k s b y D e l i u s a n d o t h e r s . . . . . . . . . .2
. .6. .
A Mu.s:;r1/'Li.feat the Brighton Festival
S o u t h - W e s tB r a n c h M e e t i n s s . .
..............27
. . . . . . .3. 0
M i c l l a n c l sB r a n c h D i n n e r . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .3. .l .
O b i t t r a r y :S i r C h a r l e s G r o v e s
. . . . . . . .3. 2
News Round-Up
...........3
. .3. .
Correspondence........
. . . . . . .3. 5
Forthcoming Events
..........36
ISSN-0306-0373
.THEOTHERSAREJUSTHARPERS.
..
AN AFTERNOON WITH SIDONIE GOOSSENS
Quite the most delightful of afternoons was spent one Sunday in June in the
company of Sidonie Goossensat her cottagein Surrey.After an excellentlunch
of roast beef with home-grown produce, we settled down to reminisce over
Sidonie'smany yearsas harpist.chiefly with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.and
also to discussthe many members of the illustrious Goossensfamily.
It was first necessary to identify the several Eugenes. of whom there were
three. Sidonie'sgrandfather, Eugene Goossens I born in 1845.had come from
Belgium to England in 1873with his wife, also named Sidonie. and becamewell
known as conductor of the Carl Rosa Opera Company. He died in 1906at the age
of 61. Sidonie's father. Eugene Goossens I I, was born at Bordeaux in 1867and
came over when sevenwith his father but went back to Belgium to study at the
Brussels Conservatoire. He returned at the age of l7 to enrol at the Royal
Academy of Music and afterwardsjoined the Carl Rosa as violinist under his
father. He worked with severalopera companies before becoming the Carl Rosa
conductor in 1899.In the mean time he had met his future wife. Annie Cook
(daughter of Aynsley Cook. a well-known bass singer) who sang small parts in
the Carl Rosa Company. Longevity would seemto be a remarkablecharacteristic
of the Goossens family: Eugene II lived to the age of 91, his wife to 86. Their
five children became one of the most famous musical families this century: the
composer and conductor EugeneIII. born in 1893.the harpist Marie in 1894.the
oboist Leon and the horn player Adolphe in 1896.and another harpist. Sidonie.
in 1899.All of them studied at the RCM.
With the family then living in Liverpool. Adolphe and L6on were playing in
the Liverpool Philharmonic when only in their teens. with the occasional
concert under Beecham.They took part in concertsertthe New Brighton Tower.
and worked with VascoAckroyd (leaderof the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra)
when he took an orchestrato St Anne's-on-Seafor the summer period. Adolphe
also played in the ScottishOrchestrawith the Polish conductor Emil Mlynarski.
a n d a t T o r q u a y w i t h B a s i l H i n d e n b u r g ( w h o l a t e r c h a n g e dh i s n a m e t o B a s i l
Cameron).During the First War Leon and Eugeneplayed at the Proms.the latter
as a violinist before he found fame as a conductor and composer.Then in 19l -5
Adolphe joined up with the Artists' Rifles, He trained in France where he
receivedhis commission. but instead of being allowed home to celebrateand
collect a suitable uniform. he was sent straight off to the Somme where
t r a g i c a l l yh e w a s k i l l e d i n 1 9 1 6 .
After briefly sketching in the various memhers of her family. we turned to
Sidonie's own career.and I began by asking her if she had ever played for her
f a t h e r .W h i l e s h e d i d n o t d o a n y c o n c e r tw o r k w i t h h i m . s h e d i d t a k e p a r t i n a
few of his recordings for Columbia. including some of light music. amongst
them Edward German's Nell Gv,vnDances.She rememberedhim as being very
tenseand nervous.taking the sessionsvery seriously.She played frequentlyfor her
4
brother Eugene.including a seasonat His Majesty's with the British National
with Maggie Teyte.and first productions
Opera Company in Tannhauser,Pell6a,v
of Vaughan Williams' Hugh the Droverand Holst'sThe PerfectFool.
Her first major symphonicengagementhad beenin February1924f or Beecham's
tour of Britain with the Lonclon Symphony Orchestra(she recalledL'Aprbs-midi
and the Venusbergmusic fromThnnhauser).For her it was an exciting tour. each
night a different town and more often than not staying in comparative luxury at
the main station hotel. As the only woman in the orchestra she was suitably
fussed over, and after the concerts there were usually supper parties with
Beechamalways in tremendousform.
Sidonie's actual first engagement had. however. been a little earlier. When
her harp teacherwas getting married. Sidonie was called upon to replaceher in
the hit musical Chu Chin Chow at His Majesty'sTheatre.with music by Frederic
Norton and the story by Oscar Asche who. in addition to being the author. not
only directed but took the lead role. One humorous moment came to mind. One
performanceof Chu Chin Chowbroughtthe Shah of Persiawith his many hooded
wives and he asked Oscar Asche if he could buy both the harpist (Sidonie) and
her harp ! Sidonie stayed on for further spectacles:Cairo. which was Asche's
loChu Chin Chowwith musicby PercyFletcher.and SomersetMaugham's
successor
Eastof Suezfor which her brother Eugenewrote the music and the producer was
BasilDean.
Then in 1923came Hassan with its part for one harp. also directed by Basil
Dean. In retrospectone can see that the successof Hassan was due in part to
the public's apparently insatiable appetite for eastern spectacles.It was at
the rehearsals that Sidonie saw Delius sitting in the stalls. With her
concentration having to be for most of the time on the music rather than on the
stage.her memories of the production zrreunderstandablynot as strong as might
be thoseof a memberofthe audience.but when askedif she rememberedwhether
live animals were used in the production. she recalled seeing donkeys being
taken outside the stagedoor for a breath of fresh air.
Other memories were more personal: Sidonie was first married one Saturday
morning during the run of Hassan.lt was hardly a typical wedding day. From
the ceremony she had to rush to the Albert Hall where she arrived late to play
in a large orchestra accompanying the trade showing of a new film (in those
days a lucrative extra for musicians). There followed a wedding lunch at the
Haymarket restaurant, then back to His Majesty's for half a matin6e, Marie
relieving her for the latter part. At the theatre there were congratulations
from the company: Henry Ainley was the first to kiss her. then Basil Rathbone.
and then DouglasBurbidge,betterknown as Dr Dale and who had earlierproposed
to Sidonie! Perhaps there is some irony in the fact that it was Marie who was
asked to record the introductory harp music for the BBC's long-running radio
serial Mrs Dale's Diary.
'Fortunately,
As the Hassan producer Basil Dean wrote in his autobiography:
the Goossens family, under the baton of Eugene. were at hand to ensure the
standard of performance which the composer expected.and indeed demanded.'
Eugene conducted the hrst fortnight before leaving to take up an appointment
in America. Percy Fletcher. the resident musical director. took over. and it
5
6
was with him conducting the theatre orchestra that Sidonie had her first
recording sessionat Hayes for HMV: four 78 sidesof selectionsfrom the Hassan
music.And becausethe engineersliked so much the recordedsound of the ha.p.
she was invited back for some solo sessions.
Both Marie and Sidonie were togetherfor Diaghilev's Russian ballet seasons.
but one of Sidonie's most significant engagements was in l92l when she first
played at the Proms. She started as second harp to Marie but by 1930 was
appointed principal harpist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.appearingin every
seasonuntil 1989.She completely stole the show at the Last Night of the l99l
Proms when sheaccompaniedDame Gwyneth JonesinThe Last Roseof Summer.
Hanging on the walls of her cottage are many framed photographs from
conductorsunder whom she has played.and the inscriptions leaveno doubt asto
'Every
good
the great affection in which she has been held by her profession.
(in
years
who always adorns
wish to a splendid colleagueof many
every sense)
anything she touches.'wroteSir Adrian Boult in 1986.Then from another chief
'To
the wonderful artist
conductor of the BBCSO. Gennadi Rozhdestvensky:
Sidonie Goossenswith greatadmiration'. One particular photograph catchesthe
'To
eye:
Sidonie. with thanks and devoted admiration. Edward Elgar 1927'.
Sidonie played many times under Elgar. and at the Three Choirs Festivalshe and
her fellow harpist were invited to a splendid breakfast at Elgar's home. There
is evidence of Elgar's great sense of fun in two almost identical letters
addressedseparatelyto Sidonie and her fellow harpist Jeanne Chevreau after
Headed'LanghamHotel Midni-eht17thAugust 1933'
Elgar'slast Prom appearance.
'My
it reads:
evening was completely spoilt as I could not say "thanks" &
farewell to the loveliest/lovelierHarpist. E.E. Now. which is which'l'
What was Elgar like as a conductorl Sidonie thought him a great conductor
'a
wonderful big spreading beat that was with the music.
of his own music with
You felt freedomwith him when he conducted.He conveyedthe musicso much more
than someconductors did who would make an effort with a certain passage[such
as that climactic pause towards the end of the Second Symphony's first
movement]. But Elgar just let it go and it went all right.' She remembered
Landon Ronald as a magnificent interpreterof Elgar. He was widely considered
as the greatestinterpreterof Elgar's music.
No discussion of BBC days could overlook the visits by Toscanini. The
orchestrahad been rather apprehensiveat his coming. but to no purpose as he
had no trouble with them at all. He was very nervous before walking on for the
start of a concert. She remembered doing such works with him asLa Mer, Daphnis
and Chloe, the Sorcerer's Apprentice, and the Prometheus Ballet. the only
Beethoven work with a harp part. Sidonie sat right by Toscanini. and as he
walked off the platform he whacked her over the head with his baton which
caught in her hair.'Intelligente.'he commented. She helped to arrange a party
'You
for him afterwards in the Small Queen's Hall.
will make me drunk!'
Toscaninijoked amiably when he was offered a drink.
We touched briefly on the BBC's evacuation during the Second World War,
'living
first to Bristol where they were
there in the lap of luxury' - until
blitzed, and then to Bedford. And we dipped into the long list of eminent
conductorsand composersfor whom shehad played:Koussevitzky,Hamilton Harty
l
with whom she did her first Debussy Dansesacrte et danseprofane at Newcastle
in 1923 or 1924. Beecham (her fnst Fantastique.with four harps). Albert
Coates.Scherchenwith some contemporaryconcerts.Webern.Schoenberg.Oskar
Fried. Sargent ('never made a mistake'). Boult (with that remarkable concert
performance of Wozzeckin 1934).Boulez with whom she particularlv enjoyed
working. and Rozhdestvensky.another enjoyableconductor to work with. There
was the'lovable'Vaughan Williams with whom she recordedthe WaspsOverture
for Vocalion and to whom she delicatelysuggestedthat he should not write such
big chords for the harp. With Marie and Leon she performed in The Planets with
Holst. in 1924The Ring with Bruno Walter at Covent Garden (the first German
opera stagedsincethe war). and anoth er Ringwith Furtwangler.There were some
recordingswith Karajan when the Philharmonia was short of harpists.amongst
them Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. arnd it was after a performance of the
same work with Cantelli - a last minute engagement- that the conductor
'She
is a harpist; the others are just harpers'. And so the names
commented:
continued to flow. The list seemedas long as time would allow.
Tirrning to the works of Delius she spoke of the difficult chromatic harp
part in the Cello Concerto. She recalled doing the Double with the Harrison
sistersand how. when performing the Violin Concerto.Henry Wood would bring
the harp nearer to the soloist. Geoffrey Toye sometimes conducted and did
Delius quite often. includin-eIna SummerGarden.
It was a memorable afternoon and indeed a privilege to roll back the pages
of over seventyyears of one of the most distinguished careersin music. Next
year seesthe centenaryof her brother Eugene'sbirth. For Sidonie and Marie he
especially wrote two ballades for harp. Let us hope that the centenary
celebrations will find room for a real family piece. the Concert Piece for two
harps. oboe and orchestra.which in its last movement quotes from a number of
works with a harp part. This would be an appropriate way of remembering also
Leon who died in 1988(heard to advantagein Beecham'spre-war recordingofthe
Fennimoreand Gerda lntermezzo) and Marie who died at the end of 1991at the
remarkable age of 97. By such comparison Sidonie is still 92 years young. Long
may she continueto enjoy her youth!
S.F.S.L.
Sidonie Goossens will be the guest at the Society's first meeting
of the 1992-3 season, at the British Music Information Centre.
Stratford Place, London on Wednesday 23 September. In an evening
of music and informal talk. she will recall. in conversation with
Stephen Lloyd. some of the most memorable moments of her career.
This and other eventscan be found in ForthcomingEventson page 35.
FREDERICKDELIUS:AIRAI{D DAI{CE
An historical note
by Robert Threlfall
'Short
piece for string orchestra
The origin of Delius's Air and Dance is a
(MS) performed at a private concert at the house of Lady Cunard in 1915
(Conductor: Thomas Beecham)'.according to Philip Heseltine'slisting in his
1923biography of the composer.An undated pencil draft MS in Delius'shand. in
the Grainger Museum. Melbourne. Australia since about 1948,itself reveals
revision but still only extends to 66 bars (plus a 4-bar A major conclusion).
against the 96 of the work as now known. It is evident that the contrasting
dance section was too short at that stageto suggestthe title under which the
piece was finally published. It is not known when it reached its present form
and the definitive autograph MS of the work remains untraced at present.
On22 October 1924.in a letter to Philip Heseltine.Delius answereda query
'little
'look
about the availability of the
string piece' by agreeing to
at it
again'. A year later. on 14 October 1925.Jelka Delius wrote to Heseltine:
'Fred
cannot make up his mind now to publish . . . as he does not quite like
'.
the little piece for
the end'. However. on 9 Janu ary 1927 she wrote:
strings. I think when you come you will be able to carry . . . off with his
consent'; it was presumably at that stage that Heseltine made his copy of the
MS full score. We next learn of his interest in a project to record the piece
by the London ChamberOrchestraconductedby Anthony Bernard.On 25June 1929
Jelka rvrote to Heseltine that there was no question of Bernard giving the first
public performance: he hacl not kept his promise to send a test record to
'As
you have a copy [of the score] you can hand it to Beecham'. she
Delius.
'I
wrote;
told you already . . . that it certainly should be included in the
Festival'.This MS copy, now in the Delius Tiust Archive. bears Beecham's
performance indications. and his modifications to the dynamics are added in
blue pencil - some in his own hand zrnd some in that of his then librarian.
Henry Gibson. Beecham played it at the Delius Festival on 16 October 1929,
under the title of Air and Dance. Meanwhile. on 9 August 1929 Jelka had
'quite
reported that Delius was
willing to give [it] to Hawkes' and on 23
A u g u s t s h e a s k e d H e s e l t i n et o ' n e g o t i a t ew i t h H a w k e s a b o u t i t ' ( w h e r e a so t h e r
new works to appear at the Festival - e.g.Cynara andA Late Lark - could wait
till afterwardsfor publication ).
The actual negotiationsfor publication were evidently somewhatdelayed and
meernwhile.inDecember 1930.Heseltinehad died.Eric Fenbythen made another
copy of the full score.presumably from the original MS: Jelka endorsedFenby's
'Please
copy dynamic markings in here from the score belonging to Sir
copy:
T h o m a s B e e c h a m ' ( e v i d e n c et h a t F e n b y c o p i e d D e l i u s ' s o r i g i n a l M S a n d n o t
Heseltine's copy. for the latter already included Beechzrm'smarks). Her
instruction was carried out by the publisher, but without attending to some
r e s u l t i n gi n c o n s i s t e n c i e sw, h e n i t w a s i s s u e di n 1 9 3 1 .
9
It is known from the Delius-Heseltine correspondencethat the latter had
meanwhile made a version of the piece for violin and piano during 1929.'I
should like very much to seeyour arrangementof Air and Dance - I shall have
severalviolinists here who can play it to me.' Delius wrote on 6 July 1929.On
'Fred
got Mrs H(oward) J(ones)[Grace Thynnel to
8 August Jelka Delius wrote:
play it and he thinks it makes quite a pretty little piece and that it is well
done . . .'Jelka posted it back to Heseltine the next day and on 30 August/2
Septembershe answereda query on the bowing. The MS of this arrangementalso
remains unlocated at present.
* * { <
The MS of the arrangement for piano 2 hands by Percy Grainger was sold at
Sotheby'son l6 December 1964as lot 398;one of a number of Delius MSS then
offered as the property of Bernard J van Dieren (son of Heseltine's musical
executor). It follows that Grainger's MS must have been in Heseltine's
'Frederick
possessionat the time of his death - incidentally. the inscription
D e l i u s ( 1 9 1 5 ) ' a t t h e h e a d i s i n h i s h a n d . G r a i n g e r ' s a r r a n g e m e n t .t h e n , m u s t
date from the period 1927-30 and it was probably intended for parallel
publication with the full score. Since it was thus temporarily unavailable to
h im in I 93 l. Fenby made a fresh2-hand arrangementhimself; this was published
by Boosey & Hiwkes that year at the same time as the score. both bear the
dedication to the National Institute for the Blind.
The Grainger and Fenbypiano arrangementsnot surprisinglyagreein much of
what is a comparatively simple-textured piece. Where the density increases,
however.examples will easily be noted of Grainger's more pianistic grasp of a
chord differing from Fenby's more literal realisation. Also Grainger, in no
less than eight places, uses the sustaining pedal as a technical aid to clarify
harmonic changesabove a staticpedal note.
The MS of Grainger's arrangementalso revealsconsiderableover-working in
pencil: redistribution between the hands. added bass octaves, occasional
thickening of chords and. in some places.bowing indications - of all things.
These additions appear to have nothing to do with the original arrangement as
set down by Grainger; they are almost certainly not even in his writing. It
seems most likely that they are in Heseltine's hand and may refer to
preliminary work on his violin arrangement. They should, therefore. be entirely
eliminated from any future publication. in the hope that the ultimate emergence
of the MS of Heseltine's violin version will in due course confirm this
decision.
The original MS of Percy Grainger's piano solo arrangement of the Air and
Dance is now in the National Library of Scotland. Acc. No. 3776; the present
writer wishesto thank Mr P M Cadell, KeeperofManuscripts.Maps and Music at
that library for his co-operation in making a copy available. In addition, his
careful examination of the MS has greatly assisted my effort to establish the
original text of Grainger's piano arrangement, which it is hoped will see
publication before too long.
O Robert Threlfall. I 989
l0
BEATRICE HARRISON
AND DELIIJS'S CE,LLOMTJSIC
byJulian Lloyd Webber
[The author. who for over twenty years has consistently championed
Delius's works for the cello, gave the first of his many performances
of the Cello Concerto in 1973.later recording the work for RCA. The
Delius Cello Sonata, which he has twice recorded. is constantly in
his repertoire. having recently taken it to New York. He wrote of his
particular devotiorr to the works of Delius in his autobiographical
Tiavels with my cello (Pavilion Books 1984). This year he is marking
the centenary of Beatrice Harrison with a Wigmore Hall recital on 9
Decemberwhich will include the Delius Sonata.l
'The
song of the bird pervades the whole atmosphere of the work, sometimesfull
of the joy of spring, sometimes, it would seem, of regret for a past which can
never retum. For again that .strangemvstic shadow creeps irtto the music which
rs so true to nature, as in all spring-jo1, there /.t a foreshadowing of the
autumn and itsdying beauryandfading leaves.'
Any performer who could write with such a deepunderstanding of Delius's music
obviously possessesrare insight into the mystery of his art. Beatrice Harrison
wrote these words about Delius's Cello Concerto in1927.and with the exception
of the early Romance (written for Josef Hollman in 1896)Delius composed all
his cello music with her in mind.'And no wonder.'wrote Gerald Moore.'for she
had a poignant and luscious cantabilewell suited to his music. Her playing of
one heavenly phrase of the Cello Concerto lingers in my memory although it is
thirtyyears since I heard the work.'
Born on 9 December 1892, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Beatrice
Harrison was the second of a quartet of musical daughters. Her father, Colonel
John Harrison. belonged to a distinguished military family. her mother Annie
was an attractive raven-haired Celt whose own singing ambitions had been
thwarted. Both parents were determined to ensure that their talented children
would have the best training possible and Colonel John made the extraordinary
decision - for those days - to abandon his own military life to concentrate
entirely on his daughters' musical upbringing. The sisters - May, Beatrice,
Monica and Margaret - went on to make a unique family contribution to British
musical life. Aside from Beatrice. May. in particular, enjoyed great successas
a violinist, and Margaret proved equally adept on the violin and the piano and
accompanied Beatrice on severalof her recordings.
Delius first made acquaintance with the extraordinary Harrison sisters on
3 December l9l4.after hearing May and Beatriceplay the Brahms Double Concerto
'At
with the Hall6 Orchestra under Sir Thomas Beecham.Beatricerecalled:
the
end of the performance an elegant gentleman rushed up to us full of charm and
enthusiasm and introduced himself to us as Frederick Delius. He told us that he
tl
t l
was going to write a Double Concerto for us himself and this was a great thrill
indeed.'
Delius kept his promise. and also began work on a cello sonata. It was the
Sonata that received its premidre the soonest (given by Beatrice. with Sir
Hamilton Harty. at the Wigmore Hall in October 1918).It was music of the soul
and will always hold its place among the truly great cello sonatas.In 1926she
recorded it with Harold Craxton. This is a classic account. displaying all the
wonderful sponfaneity of phrasing that is the hallmark of her greatest
recordings.
The Double Concerto was not premiered until February 1920at the Queen's
Hall with SirHenryWood and theQueen'sHallOrchestra. when itachievedsome
'.
success. . . the beauty of the instrumental colour with which the ideas are
'and
the opportunity it gives for an intimate
clothed,' wrote The Times,
between
the
ensemble
soloists and the orchestra are things which should give
the Concerto a definite place among the very few of its classwhich exist.'
'a
The same year Delius began to compose a Cello Concerto in the garden of
delightful old farmhousewe had takencalledtheWaffronsnearThames Ditton in
'It
was here that Delius and
Surrey.' Beatrice related in her autobiography.
his darling wife Jelka came on a visit at Easter time and here. in the garden.
that he began to compose his Cello Concerto. It was on Good Friday. one of the
most perfectspring mornings I remember.and as Delius sat in the garden he was
literally bathed in the golden sunlight among the flowers; the bluebells, the
violets and above all the flower he loved so well, the Gloire de Dijon rose,
the very earliest to breathe its perfume. Delius seemed to steep himself in its
fragrance. The crystal air was vibrating with the chant of many birds, the
skylark floating upwards to the clouds in an unseen world. the white doves
beating their wings through the air, the blackbird. the robin. the thrush. the
tiny tits, even the little jenny wren. all seemed to vie with each other to
charm him.'
Oddly enough. it was not Beatrice but the Russian cellist Alexandre
Barjansky who premidredthe Concerto in Vienna in January 1923,followed soon
afterwardsby a second performance in Frankfurt in honour of Delius's sixtieth
birthday. Barjansky (whose cello. incidentally, is now played on by the writer
of this article) also premidred Bloch's Schelomo, and Jelka Delius. in
'The
Philharmonic could
particular. seemsto have taken a great liking to him:
do it with Barjansky who is sure to have a huge success.He looks extraordinary
when he plays, so ecstatic with a delicate. sensitive face and hair like an
Italian primitive - people would love him.' However as a P.S. at the end of
'I
this letter to Adine O'Neill. she adds: read this to Fred and he thinks that
BeatriceHarrison ought to play it.'
Quite why Barjansky gave the premidre, when the work was so obviously
conceived with Beatrice Harison in mind, is hard to establish.Certainly we
know that Universal, who published the work. were aware of Barjansky's interest
in it. and it could be that they thought his championship of the Concerto would
give the work more international appeal - what a familiar tale! Yet Delius
obviously had reservations over Barjansky's interpretation, for in a letter to
'Barjansky
Beatrice shortly before the first British performance, Jelka writes:
12
has always had a tendency to play too fast. Delius saysyou have always known
how to take his tempi.'
The Concerto was first heard in Britain at the Queen's Hall in July 1923in
a programme which also includedThe happyforesrby Bax, two short pieces by
Eugene Goossens.and the Elgar Concerto conducted by the composer. Eugene
Goossens conducted everything but the Elgar. Beatrice Harrison was quite in
'The
love with the work:
orchestration is most lovely and subtle. This concerto
. . . commences full of virility and joy, continuing with a slow movement which
for sheer beauty of orchestral sound must surely be unexcelled in the whole
range of modern music. Towards the closeof the work an echo of regretseemsto
foreshadow his approaching blindness. Did he perhaps faintly realise that all
that riot of colour he was so enraptured with in the garden would only become a
memory?'
I find it difficult to write about the Concerto objectively: for me it is
'It
one of Delius's most sublime works and Beatrice obviously felt the same:
would seemsalmost impossible to describe this wonderful work adequately: for
me it has been one of the greatest joys to strive to interpret it and I still
hope one day to come a little nearer to the ideal.'
Of course Beatrice Harrison would have played Delius's original solo part
'with
the composer's approval' by the cellist Herbert
before it was revised
Withers. Perhaps I might make some comments here on the differences. As a
'The
preface to his new edition Withers writes:
solo part of this concerto was
left by the composer. for the greater part. without phrase marks. This edition
of the solo part is an earnest endeavour. undertaken with the greatest
reverence, and long. careful consideration, to suggest some phrasing,
fingering, and the invention of some purely passagework. designed to take the
place of certain writing, in the original, unsuitable to the character of
violoncello technique. It is to be observed that the submitted passagesin no
way conflict with the construction, thematic material, or harmonic scheme of
the work.'
This is not strictly true. for Withers has occasionally strayed
unnecessarilyfrom Delius's original (an example being the transposition down
an octave of one ecstatic piece of cello writing quite near the beginning).
But, for the most part. Withers made an excellent job of transforming some
quite banal pasage work into a highly melodious (and cellistic!) whole. The
improvement was obviously recognisedby Delius, who was quite strongenough a
character to have given short shrift to anybody who dared tamper with his music
withoutgood reason!
Apart from restoring some of the (very few) unnecessary alterations referred
to above, Withers'version was the one that I used for my own recording (and
which was used previously by Jacqueline du Pr6) and I must say that I was very
pleased to hear that the most recent recording by Raphael Wallfisch with Sir
'stickler'
Charles Mackerras (who. after all, is a great
for authenticity!)
also used Withers'version. Beatrice Harrison must have had a tough time trying
to make anything of some of the original passageworkand I would go so far as
to suggest that the original should be withdrawn. As it is, the conductor's
score contains Delius's original solo part and this causes serious problems
l3
when it comes to the all-too-rare concert performances of the concerto.
The final Harrison-inspired work was the Caprice and Elegy for cello and
chamber orchestra, composed especially for a tour which Beatrice was
undertaking of America. and it was dedicated to Eric Fenby in 1930.The Caprice
perfectly captures the call of a dove and the Elegy is a most beautiful
miniature. Incidentally, Beatrice Harrison's recording of the pieces marked
Eric Fenby's d6but as a conductor and it was a recording of the Elegy that the
BBC choseto play in thoseawful moments following Chamberlain's announcement
to the nation that Britain had declared war on Germany. Interestingly. they are
'arranged
for cello and chamber orchestra by
descrbedon the recording as being
mistake?
Eric Rnby'. Is this a
Or someone at the Gramophone Companyjumping
to conclusions? Perhaps Eric could help us unravel this mystery! Dr Fenby
later made an arrangement of the Elegtt for solo cello accompanied by a cello
quartet as a tribute to one of my former teachers. Douglas Cameron, and it
sounds most effective this way.
It is arguable that Beatrice Harrison's later adventures with the nightingales have rather obscured her greatest achievements. As George Bernard
'I
Shaw wrote to her in November 1936:
shall reproach the BBC for not
broadcasting the recital. It will do them good to be told tat you are the
greatest cellist in Europe, and therefore presumably in the world. That
confounded nightingale probably got you listed as Variety. They know no better,
blastthem!'
It is for her pioneering work with the contemporary composers of her day Elgar, Kodaly, Bax, John Ireland and, of course, Delius, that we are truly
indebted to Beatrice Harrison. She inspired some of Frederick Delius's most
beautiful music which she then supported wholeheartedly. by playing it where
ever possible with the greatest love and understanding. So, on 9 December, I
will raise a glass (after the concert is over, of course!) to Beatrice
Harrison'with utmost sratitude and affection'.
The Cello and the Nightingales: The Autobiography of Beatrice
Harrison, edited by Patricia Cleveland-Peck with a foreword by Julian
Lloyd Webber, was published by John Murray in 1985.
Number 87 of The Delius Society Journal, Autumn 1985, was a special
'Harrison
52-page
Sisters Issue' including a biographical sketch by
Katrina Fountain, an interview with Margaret Harrison, and articles on
Delius written by Beatrice and May Harrison. Fully illustrated. with
facsimile letters from Delius and Elgar to the Harrisons. copies are
available from the Editor, f3 (but seespecial offer on page 40).
SeeForthcoming Eventsfor Beatrice Harrison Centenary events.
14
DELIUS MONUMENT
DEDICATED AT THE 23rd ANNUAL FESTIVAL
by Thomas Hilton Gunn
As a former board member and a past president of the Delius Association of
Florida, I took great interest in the 1992 Festival programme when it arrived
on my desk. On the front cover was a photo of Delius I had not seen - the new
bas-relief created by Mr Derby Ulloa of Jacksonville as a composite from
several different pictures. The bas-relief is part of the new monument to
Delius at Solano Grove that now stands approximately where the Delius house
once stood. During my presidency, the board had kicked around the idea of a
monument, but other projects had demanded our time and we never had more
than preliminary discussions. However, the idea had not died, and the thought of
going to Solano Grove to witness the unveiling of the monument was thrilling.
The Delius Monument, with the St Johns behind
[Photo by courtesy of the author]
l5
On Saturday morning 7 March it was raining. but I was determined to seethe
event and packed my teenagedaughters into the family car and drove to StJohns
County. As we drove south the rain clouds grew more intense. and by the time we
reached the St Augustine and Picolata exits from Interstate95 we cculd hardly
seethrough the windshield. A narrow paved road then took us acrosssmall farm
lands and a couple of settlememts,but mostly it traversed desertecllbrests and
low swampy lands. This particular road followed the path of er 19th century
stageroad that had travelledfrom Picolata Landing to St Augustine.Steamboats
regularly stopped at Picolata Landing from where passengerstook the stageline
to the resort city of St Augustine. Could Delius and Tom Ward have taken that
stage to while the time away? The area had a number of English settlers.
river-boat traffic was strong. and St Augustine was an important resort. My
guess is that they probably did take the stage since it was so close to Solano
Grove.
Where the country road comes to a screechinghalt at State Road 13 there is
little more than a stop sign. and to the left of it a state historical marker
pointing out that this was a popular river crossing for the Indians and that
the Spanish had built a fortress here in 1700 to protect their colonial
interests. We turned left and drove beneath the extended limbs of large live
oaks dripping with Spanish moss. The river is near the road and it is dotted
with a few decaying docks. Within a l-ewmiles we saw a simple sign designating
the place where Delius once lived. At this point it was an overland trek of
over a mile on a very primitive dirt road that is mostly wheel ruts through
sand and mud. Normally I would never have taken my car over such a road, but
the fact that there was a car in front gave me courage. The elegant subtropical forest. the forces of nature. and wear and tear of local traffic over
the years had done their best to make it impassable to the riverbank and the
place where Delius had lived. At long last we saw a cmdely crafted sign nailed
to a tree shouting in large letters'Amen'. Amen. indeed. We had made it to the
end. Before us through a wire fence was a clearing with the river beyond. In
the clearing was a monument coveredwith yellow tarp.
We parked near a few other brave drivers.opened our umbrellas and walked
towardsthe monument. As the rain continued,we greetedthosewho werealready
there. As others arrived and began talking and as the rain lightened, the event
took on a more festive feeling. When Dr Tom Owen, President of the Delius
Association, began to speak, there were over fifty people in attendance. He
introduced the speakersbeforethe unveiling: Chancellor FrancesBartlett Kinne
and PresidentJamesJ Brady from JacksonvilleUniversity, Mr Richard Suddath
who moved the Delius cottage.and Dr Franklyn Johnson. former President at
Jacksonville University and a founding member of the Delius Association.
Dr Kinne welcomed the guests and spoke of the lounding of the Delius
Association and of the importance of music. Dr Brady also welcomed the guests
and spoke of the loveliness of the Solano Grove area and of the quiet of the
forests and the river. How could this not be a place of inspirationl Mr
Suddath askedthat we remember the pioneer artisanswho buil t the houseand the
first surveyors who staked out the plot from a wilderness and fought off
insects and rattlesnakes.Dr Johnson also spoke of the founding of the Delius
16
At the unveiling ceremony: (from the left) Ms Marjorie Dickinson of the
Delius Trust, Mr Frank Lieber and Mrs Linda Fisher of the Delius
Association of Florida board, and Mr Derby Ulloa, the sculptor and
artist.
[Photo by courtesy of the author]
Association and on behalf of the founding members living and dead acknowledged
gratitude to all who supported the Association and its efforts over the years.
The members of the monument committee unveiled the monument to applause and
the clicking of cameras. The stunning monument was crafted from a large piece
of native Florida coquina stone and contained a bronze plaque and above it the
bas-relief of Delius. The committee also presented small pieces of the stone
mounted on wood to Dr Kinne, Dr Brady, Dr Johnson, and one to be sent to Dr
Eric Fenby. Among the guests were the sculptor, Mr Derby Ulloa, members ofthe
Sanks family, the last residents of the house before it was deserted to the
elements to be later discovered by Mrs Martha Bullard Richmond, and Ms Marjorie
Dickinson, Administrator of the Delius Trust. The guests admired the monument
and the sculptor's art. They moved about for an hour or so, talking with one
another and enjoying the natural beauty of this delightful place. Is it any
wonder that people today lose themselves in the beauty of nature in the very
spot where Delius ‘found himself’ over a century ago?
tl
FEI{ I,{IM ORE A I{D GERDA
THE NEW YORK PREMIERE
The Juilliard School Opera Centre. New York. 29 April and I & 3 May 1992.
Production conceivedby Frank Corsaro and Ronald Chase.Directed by Frank
Corsaro. Films, projections, scenery and costumes by Ronald Chase. Lighting
designed by John Gleason. Juilliard Opera Orchestra. conductor Christopher
Keene.CAST. Fennimore'.Nina Warren,Niels:Franco Pomponi, Erik: JayHunter
Morris. Claudi: Richard Woods. Mrs Claudi: Julia Anne Wolf. Claudi's maid:
Jennifer Diamond, Off-stagevoice:Charles
Workman,Niels'maid: Kelye Suzanne
Bush, Fennimore'smaid: Natalie Griffen Mitchell, Fennimore'sbutler: Richard L
Kilfoil, Councillor: Eduardo del Campo. Distiller: Carlos Conde. Sportsman:
Russell Cusick, Tintor:Charles Workman,Gerda: Nancy Allen. Ingid: Christina
Bouras.lila: Kelye Suzanne Bush,Marir:Jennifer Diamond, Skinnerup: Richard
Woods, Gerda'smaid: Elizabeth Bishop.
The same director, designerand conductor who were responsiblefor the American
premidre of Fennimore and Gerda at Saint Louis in l98l (Journal 13 pp.l7-20)
and who two years later took their production to the Edinburgh Festival
(Journal Sl pp.l6-20), have now stagedthe NewYork premidre. Corsaro's Delius
credentialsare impressive.He producd the American premidresof Koanga in 1970
andA VillageRomeo in 1972,both at Washington. and Margot La Rougeat Saint
Louis in 1983.But Edward Rothstein. in The New York Times. felt that the use
of film images which were the central feature of the Corsaro-Chase production.
did not provide sufficient dramatic unity or a'coherent dreamlike atmosphere;
it just laid one level of clich6 on top of another. The effect might have been
more convincing had the studentperformancesbeen more compelling.'Another
fault was that the orchestra did not allow enough of the English text to be
heard.
For those unfamiliar with this filmic approach, as Rothstein interpreted it:
'Throughout
this ill-fated 9O-minute work . . . images - some still. some on
film - appeared on a scrim behind which the opera's action took place. Each
image had some connection with the drama. and each had a very simple
testimonial message.Storm clouds meant ominous goings-on;autumn leavesmeant
melancholy; flowers meant youth; a rainbow meant hope.'
'fascinated
Dale Harris in the New York Post Weekend was
but
'a
unconvinced'. Delius, we are told. is minor Anglo-German composer with a
small. if cultish. following' in the States. Producer and designer had
'attempted
to deal with this unengaging material by submerging it in
pictorialism: projections. film strips, mime sequences. the noise of wind to
link the scenes.The results are both undramatic and banal . . .' Andrew
'debilitating:
Porter, in The New Yorker, also found the use of film on gauze
it puts a barrier between the singers and their audience. The mode is
particularly ill-suited to Delius. since it stresses the "dreaminess", the
fluidity. the wandering quality of the music, not its strengths, and makes him
sound like the composer of atmospheric movie music' that he is sometimes
l8
'with
long
accused of being.' Corsaro filled the breaks specified in the score
interludes of musique concrete New Age environmental tapes.the sound of
waves. winds. and birds. and. in the first of them. a train and bells accompanied by some newly invented little action scenesbehind the gauze.
Similar imagery anclextra action accompilnied the instrumental interludes.'
In this production Fennimorestood on its own. not paired in a double-bill
as on other occasions. With the bitter taste of the ENO production still
lingering. it would seem that Fennimore still awaits its ideal presentation.
Perhaps the one option as yet untried - television - could solve most of the
problems surroundi ng stageproductions.
S.F.S.L.
A WLLAGE ROMEO AIfD JULIET
A Villu64e
Rontco - the Vicleo.to use current jargon, was at long last
s h o w na sp a r t o f B B C 2 ' s ' O p e r aS e a s o n ' o nS u n d a y l 9 J a n u a r y .M a n y
members had already seenit at selectpreviews,most notably at our
Scarborough AGM in 1990.If it has taken a long time to reach the
screen.it has taking even longer to reach the shops. but is now
avaiI able'in LaserDisc and VHS form ats.Decca 7 | 134-2DH&-3 D H.
Henry Giles off'ershis reactionsto the BBC screening.
This review is prinrarily concerned with the visual aspectsof the recording and
howthesecomplementorotherwisemythoughts aboutthecomposer'sintentions.
To enhance a composer'sideas.never getting in the way of what he has to say
is the real job of the director. In recent years this axiom has sometimes been
forgotten or ignored.
The hallmark of a powerful work of art in any meclium is the ability to
expressimportant ideas relevant to its day yet simultaneously transcending its
own time. Understandably this fact can be used as an argument.for example,for
a director to transpose Wagner's operas or Shakespeare'splays into modern
clress.By so doing there may be pitfalls. as. in the case of The Ring. images of
timeless mythical archetypesmay be weakened or invalidated. We have seen
indulgent personal psychological or political interpretations used in
productions offering a superficial viewpoint as compared with what seems
originally to have been intended.
So it was with some senseof relief when watching the opening scene of I
'playing
Village Romeo and Juliet that the production was
safe'. Here we are in
a rural setting in the middle of the nineteenth century. From the very opening
bars. however. it seems to me that Delius brushes in with broad strokes of
orchestralcolour a spaciousnatural landscape.vibrant and vigorousand having
perhaps something of the quality of one of Constable's large 'sketches'.and
offering inspiration to the camera to sweep across the fields and woods and
into the sky itself. The opportunity was missed and the eye is caught on the
details of farmhouse gables.Later. when the Dark Fiddler appears.there is an
effective long shot of the distant figure in dark silhouette against the
l9
t'ields. But in close-up why did he have to look so healthy? A hint of
cadaverousness
orgauntnesswould haveenhancedthe portrayal of his character.
By now it had become apparent that the interminable relentlessglare of the
noon-day sun was not to give way in orcler to complement the dark forboding
'wild
which the Fiddler's music suggests.A pity that the
restlessvagabond
wind' failed to tlnd a cloud or two to cast a chilling shtrdow over such jolly
fields and woods. If nature did not oblige. then carlera technique needed to
offer its helping hand. Specific points such as these will serve as a guide to
my criticism of the camera work and art direction generally.At times it seemed
fine. natural and appropriate. and hence did not draw attention to itself. but
there were too many instanceswhere it seemedto show an extraordinary lack of
sensitivityand au'arenessof the changing moods of the music.
Perhaps the most positive aspectof the presentation which video provided.
and worked particularly well in the interplay between Sali and Vrenchen, was
the use of close-ups.The sense of intimacy was very well suggested.sensual.
even erotic, yet with a most delicate suggestion of reverential and loving
tendernessflowingbefweenthem. This was most moving. effectivelyheightening
the contrast of their fathers' harsh quarrelling and the worldly vulgarity of
the vagabonds.
It was a pity that the dream sequencecame acrossso pragmatically and not
at all dream-like. I have seen it much better realised on stage.The farmhouse
sequenceswork quite well externally and inten-rally.the large doorway to the
outside used effectively at some point to provide a useful contrast and
interplay between internal and external space.but greater dramatic use might
h a v eb e e nm a d e o f i t .
Alas. the fairground scenewas disappointing. There was something of a jolt
when the visual imagery took on a distinctly late 19th century flavour. But my
m a i n c r i t i c i s m i s t h a t t h e s e q u e n c eo f i r n a g e sd i d n o t f o l l o w t h e m o o d o r p a c e
of the musical scorewith any consistency.Sometimesquick and jaunty qualities
in the music were matched by appropriate action on the screen.such asjugglers
or dancers.but just as often the music waxed furiously while the camerzrman.
presumably somewhat deaf. servedus static.almost frozen. images reminiscent
of a painting by Seurat.
The'Walk to the ParadiseGzrrden'used some well-chosenimagery such as a
roadway and the crossing of a bridge. The bathing sequence was also an
interestingidea both symbolically and visually.I wondered howeverwhether the
whole thing was getting too complicatecl.the director not having the confidence
to allow the music to do most of the work. Was there a fear perhaps that. by
slowingdown and thereforereducingthe number of imagespresented(simpliiying
them would have served the music so much better).there was a risk of boring
the viewer?If the lovers needed to undress near the stream it might have been
better not to fuss over details such as the untying of a bodice which detracted
from the flow of the music. Surely it would have been better if at the
waterfall they had been quite naked. whether or not historical researchwould
suggestthat they would'in reality'have been otherwise?
So to the last scene.The country house seemed not to have quite the right
atmosphere.Perhapssomemore distantshotsthrough the treeswould have helped
20
establish the setting. And those so-called vagabonds, quite a difficult scene
to handle in the TV format. It might have worked better if the lighting levels
were lower and we were not so close in. thereby leaving rather more scope for
the imagination. I just did not find them very convincing, and their
credibility was not enhanced by their seeming so chic, apparently having just
arrived from Paris with Lautrec and his crowd for a week-end in the country.
The closing sequenceswere particularly disappointing: big commerciallooking barges with obtrusive navigation lights which would have made a good
testing piece for anyone aspiring to a yachtmaster's certificate, such crude
imagery destroying any senseof what surely needs to suggesta quiet backwater.
The lovers' barge should be full of hay. but did it have to be quite so large
and with an enormous haystack on top'?As the opera draws to its close.there
are wonderful opportunities for visual imagery: the Fiddler's music fast as a
dervish's dance with flashing glinting ripples of light. a wild ecstatic
totentanz. With broad. limpid brushstrokes.visual pictures ratified by both
the stage directions and the operatic text are evoked by the music - 'soft
mellow light . . . mysterious enchantment . . .'Among paintings, Corot's or
Whistler's might have been looked at for inspiration. Long. low and sustained
shots.complementing the flow of sound. acrossdeep and dark watersshrouded in
the damp and chilling evening mist with perhaps a sensitivelyhandled dissolve
showing the loversentwined in each other's arms.
So far as operatic stage presentation is concerned, I have only recent
experienceof Opera North. There have been some notably excellent productions
in the last fewyearswhere whatone heard was splendidly complementedbywhat
one saw.Any medium has its particular strengthsand weaknesses.
Film orvideo
gives opportunities for close-up and movement through space which are
impossible on stage.The history of cinema is marked by telling visual imagery.
Recent TV documentaries. notably of wild-life and travel, complement this
tradition. In summary the production under review seems to be largely an
opportunity missed. This was particularly unfortunate bearing in mind that its
releasewas quite close.tothe production of Fennimoreand Gerdaby ENO which,
judging from the reviews. was a visual disaster; and secondly. because it is
planned to make it available for sale as a video, perhaps lending it an aura of
permanence and authority which sadly seemsunjustified.
On a more positive side. we learn by mistakes, though one can hardly expecr
an opportunity for a second attempt in the short term. Looking then to the
future, Fennimore and Gerda would present a fascinating challenge for this
format should the opportunity arise. on stage it poses insuperable
difficulties. but as a video it might well spring to new life. What is clear is
that in any format it poses more problems than doesl VillageRomeo andJuliet.
My plea is that should the Delius Trust consider any further ventures of this
kind. they should make quite sure that there is at least one member of the
production team carryingweight in decision makingwho is imaginative, visually
aware and with a real sensitivity to Delius's music. Such a person will need to
be involved from the initial concept stagethrough to the final editing.
Henry Giles
[For a contrasting viewpoint. see Correspondencel
2l
RECORDREVIEWS
DELIUS Paris,Brigg Fair, Floridc Suite. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra,
Richard Hickox. Recordedin the WessexHall. Poole.7 &8 Mav 1989.Timine
. EMI CDC7 49932-2
75',59',
First among a welcome batch of recordings is one that has been overdue for
review in these pages: a highly recommendable disc released last year of three
strong well-shaped performances. Richard Hickox pacesParis particularly well.
giving full rein to the more vigorous passagesand unfolding the lyrical viola
theme at flrgure 13 with just the right amount of freedom. The pianissimo
hairpins on first violins before 17 seem unduly loud, but the balance and
recording of all three works is otherwise ideal. Brigg Fair is equally
satisfying. The opening is sensitively controlled, and Hickox draws some fine
playing from the Bournemouth strings in the lovely pastoral interlude at 15.He
springs a pleasant surprise by suddenly reducing them to well below the printed
piano just after 18, making the important horn entry the more telling. The slow
variation with its tolling bell is taken slightly faster than usual, so that
the Maestosomarking loses a little of its impact, but this is a fresh and well
considered interpretation. In the Florida Suite Hickox observes the three
optional cuts marked in the score; indeed he observes them almost too
scrupulously by retaining the little oboe figure that starts on the last beat
of the bar before the first cut which then completely dispenses with its
continuation. This weli-engineered disc provides thoughtful and eminently
satisfying readings of all three works.
DELIUS Sea Drift (Thomas Hampson. baritone), Florida Suite. Orchestra and
Chorus of the Welsh National Opera, Sir Charles Mackerras. Recorded in the
Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, August. Timing
63'09'. Argo 430 206-2.
For a work that rarely finds its way into the concert hall, the Florida Suite
has been done proud on disc, this being its fifth version, all on CD. Mackerras
plays it complete as does William Boughton on Nimbus. For those not worried
either way about the small cuts, there is very little to choose between
Mackerras and the Hickox version reviewed above. Both conductors revel in the
beauties of the final movement, At Night, an extraordinarily assured piece of
writing - as is the whole Suite - to have come from the young Delius's pen,
with the composer at the ageof twenty-five or so relishing the sound of horns.
However, it is probably for Sea Drifi that purchasers will be looking to
this disc. Thomas Hampson, the Dark Fiddler both on screen and on the
soundtrack of the recent Village Romeo and Juliet, is in good voice,
enunciating every word clearly, and the chorus bring a burning attack to
'Shine!
Shine!' This is a very good performance, if just lacking the
emotional depth of the Bruce Boyce/Beechamversion reviewedbelow. Hampson's
22
singing, fine though it is. just misses that last ounce of utter anguish and
despair, leaving the listener conscious of listening to a performance rather
thanbecominginvolved in auniversalexperience.Thepassagebeginning'Yes
my
brother' loses much of its poignancy as the important violin solo is not
sufficiently audible, though it has to be said that here it is not brought so
unnaturally forward as on the Sony Beecham release.That apart, elsewherethere
is much fine attention to detail as one has come to expect from Mackerras. The
overall choral and orchestral balance may not be ideal; Brangwyn Hall in
Swansea is probably a venue of convenience that does not allow the clarity of a
studio recording. But those wanting a good modern version of Sea Drift need
look no further. Incidentally, has an edit robbed the flute of a silent beat at
figure l? Sea Drift is helpfully given six index points for anyone wanting to
locate a particular moment in the work.
DELIUS Violin Concerto (Tasmin Little. violin), TwoAquarelles,On hearing the
frst cuckoo in sping, Summer night on the river,lntermezzo from Fennimore
and Gerda, Irmelin Prelude, Dance Rhapsodlt No I, Dance Rhapsody No 2. Welsh
National Opera Orchestra,Sir Charles Mackerras.Recordedin the Brangwyn Hall,
Swansea,December 1990and May 1991.Timing J3'40'. Argo 433 704-2
Those who heard Thsmin Little's Maida Vale performance of the Violin Concerto
in 1990with Lionel Friend conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestrawill have had
their expectations raised by this release.and they will not be disappointed.
Thsmin's affection for the music of Delius was first made evident to members of
the Delius Society through her perceptive article in Journal 91, an extract
from which is reprinted in the accompanyingCD booklet. Since then her advocacy
for the music has not wavered, with performances of the sonatas, the Double
Concerto and the Violin Concerto. Now that her interpretations of these two
concertos have been committed to disc. it can surely only be time before the
sonatas follow suit.
Let it be said that this new recording of the Violin Concerto is an absolute
winner. It receives a loving performance, each note caressed with just the
right amount of vibrato, and that very delicate emotional-intellectual balance
so finely controlled, avoiding the frequent temptations to linger overlong on a
phrase. Once again Sir Charles Mackerras provides unfailingly sympathetic
support, with bold orchestral tuttis contrasting with a sensitive accompanying
underlay. The heart of the concerto, the slow movement with its Scotch snap
answering calls from woodwind to soloist. is beautifully unfolded. and. often a
problem in performance, the l2-8 Allegretto section before the coda is tossed
off with consummate ease.
The remaining items on this well-filled disc are all familiar. most of them
recorded many times before. Thef rst cuckoo does not sound as fresh here as it
might, but Mackerras responds more readily to the two Dance Rhapsodies,the
first receiving a particularly lively reading with an affecting account of the
penultimate variation with solo violin. A small black mark to Decca. however,
for providing no index points for the Violin Concerto.
23
D E L IUS D a n ce Rh apsody No 1.Violin Concerto (JeanPougnet,violin), TheSongof
the High Flil/.r(Freda Hart and Leslie Jones. vocalists), On the Mountains (Paa
vidderne).Luton Choral Society, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas
Beecham.RecordedNo I Studio. Abbev Road. London. 1952and 1946.Timine
J2',40".EMI CDM 7 660542.
More excellent historical transfers of performances that should never be
allowed out of the catalogueand which require little recommendation here.Good
though the two recent recordings of the DanceRhapsodyNo t have been, this one
has a magic all of its own. Here is a performance that one might listen to
again and again just as one watchesa conjuror in the hope of discoveringhow
his trick is done. No one points the off-beat bassoon and sarrusophone
commentary in the first variation quite like Beecham.nor achievessuch perfect
balance between muted strings and solo violin in the penultimate variation.
Incidentally. Beecham makes a cut. not marked in the score.omitting the eleven
bars betore figure 18.
Jean Pougnet, the soloist in the Violin Concerto. was leader of the LPO
1942-5before taking up a career as a solo artist. When a gardening accident in
1957 brought a temporary halt to his solo work. he turned instead to
conducting.being appointed to the BBC Grand Hotel Palm Court Orchestra.and
conducting other bodies such as the London Studio Strings. When he had
recovered the use of his left arm. one of his first engagementswas a BBC
performance of the Delius Concerto with Sir Charles Groves and the RPO in
November 1967.Hedied the following year.and this 1946recording stands as a
fitting testimonial to a fine artist.
The other major work on this disc. The Song of the High Hills, has come up
remarkably fresh on CD. Indeed. the clarify of this new transfer makes more
apparent the flrst violins'uncertainty ten bars from the end whether or not to
resolveon to G#. which they then proceed to hold for the following bar instead
of A#; this oscillating between the two chords in fact continues for two bars
longer than is indicated in the score,to telling effect.
When Musicol Opinion greeted the recording of this work less than
favourably. springing to its defence with a letter in the February 1948 issue
of that journal was no less a figure than Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji whose
comments zrreworth reporting in full:
I was really astonishedto read someof yourreviewer'sremarks upon
'The
Song of the High Hills' in your December number. How he
succeededin convincing himself that this great work has. as he puts
it. no point of rest or crisis. passes my understanding. for the
whole work leadsinevitably and logically to the greatclimax on page
37 of the full score.and the masterly way in which this is contrived
marks in my opinion the radical differencebetweenessentialinherent
form and that imposed from the outside.like a mould into which a
jelly is poured; while the wonderful senseof vast. remote stillness
conveyed by the incomparable close.arriving as it does with such
perfectappositeness.
marks the work asone ofthe greatmasterpieces
43. / , ,/?f /
GREZ-SI,R-LOtNe
4 ,\*/a
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on*(
(s a nr)
,
4 I
.-7*ry
The one extunt retter (in
Jerka s hand)
'no, from Delius to
cenrcnory it is this year.
sorabji, whose
It *o,
Sorabji,s habir
his woy
to meetfettoi ,o,*iori,
ora ,nnrir";",,;;;"::"r"],ff,;{
havingma' chiel.ro*ori'ro;;o-;;r*
to havebeen
mutuatfriend, phitip
n"raiirr.";:ny::;-.)ririirr,," throughtheir
musicshourdbe adiresse,
,o a"iirii, tt1ni9r,_"ir'ror"or, sorabji,s
Archive' Easron Dene,
the sorabji
';,!i"!:;r;
ioru,
music _Bairbrook
list /';;" Tlotr
Bath BAI 7AA. The
Archive
of avaitabitity)
and a
25
of modern times. And to suggest that the great artist, Sir Thomas
Beecham.doesnot securea balance oftone and phrasing, and thatthe
line of the music is not kept constant and unbroken seemsto me as
fantastic as the rest of your reviewer'snotice. IDecember28thl947l
On the Mountains is rather out of place on this disc in such exalted company.
Although it has its moments.it seemsembarrassinglyclumsy and immature coming
straight after the wonderful closing bars of the High Hills. But, being
'it
sensibly placed as the last item, one can avoid
if one so chooses.
Nevertheless, it is a work that students of Delius will wish to hear. It is
also available with other early Delius works on Marco Polo 8.220452.
DELIUSF/asscr Incidental Music,SeaDrift(Bruce Boyce,baritone)a4nArabesque
(Einar Norby, baritone).BBC Chorus. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,Sir Thomas
Beecham.Recordedin London. February 1958.December lg54andOctober 1955.
Timing 65'58'. Sony MPK 47680.
Particularly welcome here is Beecham's Arabesquewhich did not enjoy an LP
revival with the remainder of the Philips/CBS Delius items getting on for
twenty years ago. Other performances from that source which one can only hope
will similarly be given a new lease of life on CD are of Pais, Eventyr, North
'Delius
Country Sketches,Appalachic (it is high time the 1938 LPO
Society'
version re-appeared), In a Summer Garden, Over the hills and far away, the
closing scene from Koanga, andof course the much- awaitedA Mass of Ltfe.
Although An Arabesquewas set in German. Beecham chose to record it in
'it
Danish because, as he put it,
is almost impossible to give this work in any
language but that of its native Danish, as both the English and German version
make sheer nonsenseof its meaning. If this prescription be followed the number
of occasions when it might be heard is likely to be very limited; a matter for
high regret . . .' Whether there is little more than curiosity value in having
it performed in Danish is open to debate. If it poses no problems for the
listener, it provided one of a different kind for the soloist, Einar Norby, who
apparently had to have a translator present at the sessions.His recorded voice
is a little harsh. especially when the volume is increased, but otherwise the
mono transfer is quite acceptable.
The Bruce Boyce Sea Difi is probably the recording that many members will
have grown up with. The sound quality here is much better, allowing more
orchestral detail to emerge, and the full chorus is accommodated without any
'Wonderful,
distortion. And the performance? In Whitman's words:
causing
tears'.
First on the disc is Hassan, not the complete incidental music as recorded
by Handley for EMI but a thirfy-minute suite with chorus. Sony gives the
recording date as February 1958whereas Michael Gray's Beecham:A Centenary
Discography (Duckworth, 1979) pinpoints 23 and 29 October 1955 at Walthamstow
Town Hall. Gray adds that the Serenadewastakenseparatelyon l2 October 1956
at Abbey Road. Yet the aural evidence would seem to suggest that it is part of
26
the same session. The recording has an unusual amount of studio noise
(shuffling, coughs, turning of pages) that is not cut off between the Serenade
and the next movement in the Suite.These'noises'.which include what seems
like Sir Thomas's hissing to obtain a diminuendo, do not distract from a superb
performance. Presumably there was no tidying-up session;the chording at the
end of the Processionof protracted death is anything but unanimous.
To end on a different note, amongst my scores by chance was a copy of a
perceptive Gramophore review (January 1959)of the original Fontana Hassan
release.The writer was Alec Robertson who remembered seeingHenry Ainley in
the 1923 His Majesty's Theatre production. His final para-eraph is worth
'I
quoting: wish [Sir Thomas] could induce one of the companies to record the
short opera Fennimoreand Gerda,which is a small masterpiece.and would also
be well adapted to broadcasting. It is, alas. no use saying that it would offer
television a perfect vehicle.'
THE HARRISON SISTERS(Beatrice,Margaret& May): AN ENGLISH MUSICAL
HERITAGE. DVORAK Songsmy mother tought me (Beatrice with nightingales),
ELGAR Salut d'amour(Margaret and Beatrice with Princess Victoria), DELIUS
Violin SonataNo I (May with Arnold Bax).SMETANASongs of my home (Margaret
with Reginald Paul). DELIUS Cello Sonata (Beatricewith Harold Craxton), VAN
BIENEBTo ken melody (Beatrice and Margaret), POPPERHarlequinade (Beatrice
and Margaret), BRAHMS Cello Sonata (Beatricewith Gerald Moore), WAGNER
Pize song (Beatrice with harpist Carlos Salvedo and orchestra), ELGAR Cello
Concerto - Adagio (Beatrice with Princess Victoria). Recordings l9 I 5 (Wagner)
and1926to1929.GSE ClaremontRecords 78-50-47CD andcassette.PO Box 250.
Newland s 77 25,South Africa. Copies may be obtained from David Candlin of the
Harrison SistersTrust.Meadowbrook VinesCorner.Hildenborough.KentTNl I 9LL
Here is an issue that not only marks the Beatrice Harrison centenary but also
remembers her two sisters May and Margaret (the latter happily still with us).
For the Delian the chief items of interest here are the violin and cello
sonatas. but of greater rarity value are the Prize song arranged from Die
Meistersinger and the two private recordings made with Princess Victoria, a
great friend of the sisterswho on this evidence would seem to have been of the
Beecham school of piano playing. The sound here originates either from private
test pressings or from the cleanest commercial prints found. The surface noise
has not been eliminated so there is the familiar 78 sound of frying eggs
without loss of the higher frequencies. The side joins have been skilfully
accomplished, by and large only detectable becauseof the change of hiss level.
In some instances. the Delius Cello Sonata being a case in point, the run-out
of a 78 side occasionally departed from the score by resolving onto a
convenient chord, and this can pose a problem when trying to link the sides
into a continuous performance. However, all this has been managed well.
When so much is heard today about so-called authentic performance. it is
worth remembering that we do not have to go far back in time to find that
performing traditions have markedly changed. One of the great contributions of
27
the gramophone is its abiltity to preserve such traditions. and there is no
finer example of this than Elgar's own recordings. Even between his acoustic
and electric sessionsone notices the use of portamento, out of fashion today,
becoming less excessive.In the late twenties it was still very much part of
the Harrisons' style. and these Delius performances are eloquent examples of a
perform ing style prevalent when the works were conceived.May was more closely
involved with the Third Sonata dedicated to her (she can be heard in a private
performance of that work on Symposium 1075).Margaret, whose fame as a
violinist did not quite match that of her fwo eldest sisters (there was a
fourth). is heard both as accompanist and, to great effect, as soloist in an
impassioned performance of Smetana'sSongsofmy home.Beatrice,besidesbeing
Elgar's chosen soloist in his concerto briefly represented here, was
particularly associated with Delius's cello works (though to correct the
accompanying notes her first performance of the Cello Concerto was in London
with Eugene Goossensin July 1923).Gerald Moore, her accompanist on this disc
'had
in the Brahms. wrote in his 1962autobiographicalAm I too loud?that she
a poignant and luscious cantabile well suited to [Delius's] music. Her playing
of one heavenly phrase in the cello concerto still lingers in my memory though
it is thirty years since I heard the work. She sang on her instrument and had
an infallible instinct for feeling when the muscle of the music slackened,
where it tightened again. where it accumulated tension till the climax was
reached. No woman cellist I have ever heard had. at once, a tone so powerful
and sweet'.These qualities can be appreciated in this collection.
To emphasise the historical importance of this releaseis not to undermine
the musical enjoyment it can offer. Members interestedin the Delius items may
prefer to await a similar (but not identical) releaseon CD only from Symposium
Records expected in September that will also include these and the Brahms
sonata.Meanwhile those wanting the works on cassettecan safelyinvest in this
issue.
S.F.S.L.
AMASS OFLIFE
THE BRIGHTON FESTWAL9 Mav 1992
The sun shone as we waited for the doors to open at the Dome, Brighton.
Searching seagulls gave us a natural prelude which would have been more
appropriate as a non-musical preparation before SeaDri"ft.However, we awaited
A Mass of LLfe which on this occasion was given by the Brabant Symphony
Orchestra.theBrightonChorusandsoloistsconductedbyRichardArmstrong.As
the hall filled with an apparently enthusiasticaudience,I wondered how many
would be hearing the work for the lirst time. They were to hear it given by
Anglo-Dutch forces.which was highly appropriate on what had been named as
Europe Day in the Brighton Festival.
28
Before the concert started I spoke to a lady who had sung among the altos in
the post-war Beecham recording of A Mass of Life. She told me that he
concentrated wholly on the orchestra and ignored the choir completely. To her
he had seemeda formidable conductor.We wonderedhow exclusiveMr Armstrong
would be this evening. We need not have worried. His was a performance that
thrived on team-work of the finest sort. After the first few bars of the work
in Armstrong's hands, we knew we were in for a treat on this occasion, and so
it proved.
Richard Armstrong is a {ine Delius conductor, and the Brabant Orchestra can
match any orchestral forces in Britain in the performance of Delius's music.
They were beautifully balanced in this performance. We revelled in superb
string playing. The woodwind players were particularly memorable, players who
had no casual acquaintance with this work. They sounded as though they had
studied it and known it for what it is, a masterpiece, over many years. I must
mention here, however, that their efforts were spoilt by the dreadfully dry
acoustic of the Dome.
This performance emphasised the strength of the structure of this work.
Richard Armstrong brought out the creative tension in the music very
successfully. Speeds in both parts were on the brisk side, though he allowed
the music to breathe in the more lyrical meditative moments of the score. The
conductor was ably assistedby a fine team of soloists. Teresa Cahill (soprano)
and Yvonne Minton ( mezzo soprano) h andled their music marvellously well and
brought out new aspectsof the music I had not heard before. Justin Lavender
(tenor) has a lyrical voice and can muster power when necessary.The soloist
who has the lion's share of the music is, of course, the bass - on this
occasion David Wilson-Johnson. He was in fine voice and dominated the
proceedings whilst he sang. He also revealed new depths in the score. One
instance which springs to mind is his first solo in Part One which I have never
heard sung so well before. Mr Wilson-Johnson's skill and enthusiasm inspired
the otherperformers.
The ability of the conductor, soloists and orchestra to master every detail
of the score will have surely helped to raise enthusiasm and pleasure for those
people who had never heard the work before. Such efforts will, of course,
clarify the work and further reveal its meaning. This ability to reveal the
poetry and the colour of the music was inspiring for us all. Richard Armstrong
and his forces showed us a dramatic, poetic and visionary work. and helped us
to hear more clearly what Delius is driving at here. On this occasion I was
acutely aware of the poetic and visionary nature of the work, and Nietzsche's
'the
perfect artist is for ever and ever shut off from all Reality'
maxim that
is appropriate.
At the end of the performance, the audience roared its approval and
continued to do so for several minutes. The man in the row behind me who
quietly snored through the second half missed a treat. Surely the spirit of
Delius hovered over theseforces during this wonderful performance.
Paul Chennell
29
DELITJSSOCIETYMEETINGS199I.2
The seasonbegan at Mary Ward House on Thursday 26 Septemberwhen we were
honoured to receiveas guestspeaker SirCharles Mackerras. In introducing him,
Chairman Rodney Meadowsannouncedthat SirCharles had acceptedan invitation
to become a Vice President of the Sociefy. news that was received with much
applausefrom the members assembled.
Sir Charles's talk ranged over a wide list of subjects including the making
of the sound-track of A Village Romeo and Juliet in Vienna with the ORF
Symphony Orchestrafor the new film. the recentENO production of Fennimoreand
Gerda which had received a very mixed reception in respect of its staging, and
recent recordings of the Violin Concerto with Tasmin Little and the Double
Concerto with Tasmin again and Raphael Wallfisch of which we heard excerpts.
Sir Charles also answereda number of questions.including one about his own
approach to the interpretationsof Delius which of course could not and should
not replicatethe interpretation of any other conductor. Beecham was Beecham
and Furtwanglerwould alwaysbe Furfwangler in performanceand interpretation.
On Wednesday 20 November at the British Music Information Centre, the
composer and critic Anthony Payne talked about the effectsthat Delius's music
had had on his own compositions. It was fascinating to listen to his quite
intimate revelations of his struggle to find his own voice after early days
when his compositions included. unconsciously,many elementsof the style of
great composers. He revealed that he had a break of ten years or so before
feeling confident to begin composing again in a style which spoke with his own
unique voice. By way of illustration he played a number of works including his
own parody of In o summer garden which. although. quite different, could be
heard to touch the Delius work at a number of easily indentifiable points.
The first meeting of 1992 was a double bill featuring an excellent large
format slide presentationby Ivor Russellof Paris and Norway accompanied by
Delius's Paris andThe song of the high hills, followed by Roger Buckley's film
of the Societyvisit to Grez the previous Septemberwhich also included film of
an earlier visit. Both had clearly gone to a great deal of trouble and members
were greatly appreciative.
On Monday 24 February we were again privileged to have a major British
conductor at a meeting. when Richard Hickox was engagedin conversation with
Lyndon Jenkins on the subject of the performance of Delius's music. However,
the discussion ranged far wider tl-ran that. and included a discussion on the
number of concerts which he undertook in a season.whether orchestras he had
known had been at home with Delius's music and the very important need to keep
the line of the score moving. This he felt in the case of Delius should be in a
horizontal rather than a vertical sense of line. The latter was a quite
acceptable approach for many composers, but Richard Hickox felt it was not
appropriate for Delius.
A change of programme for the final meeting of the season,due to Meredith
Davies being unable to attend as originally planned, saw new member Donald
'Over
Rooksby ably filling the space with his programme
the Hills and Far
Away'. a personal evaluation of some of Delius's finest works, including the
30
last act of Fennimore and Gerda and the Eric Fenby recording of Songsof
sunset, an intensely moving work. It was satisfying to be able to listen
together to some of the larger Delius works as an assembly of Society members,
something we do all too rarely. Our thanks to Donald. founder of the Derby
Music Society and closely connected with Hyperion records, forbeing a'Daniel
in the lions' den' and bravely addressing us. It was a great evening with which
to close the season
Brian Radford
SOUTH-WEST BRANCHMEETINGS
The speaker at the meeting on 2l September 1991 at the Octagon, Bristol
Polytechnic, was Ron Bleach who gave a most interesting and informative talk on
the Delius-Bantock connection and their mutual friends. He chose to open the
talk at the time when Delius promoted his first London concert at St James's
Hall in 1899at some loss from a financial point of view. By coincidenceBantock
was at that time presentingBritish composersat New Brighton, and Ron Bleach
questioned why Delius had not had the opportunity ofpresenting some ofhis own
music when Bantock had some years earlier played the music of other British
composers and his own works at a concert in Queen's Hall, unfortunately also
with financial loss.A good number of other composers were mentioned in Ron
Bleach's presentation which was much enjoyed by the members present.
The meeting on I I April at Lionel Carley's Sheepscombehome was the bestattended so far. and we were very grateful to Lionel for his kind hospitality
and for arrangi ng a speaker.Mr Anthony Boden (who was writing a history of the
Three Choirs Festival), to talk about Ivor Gurney. He was ably assisted by
Lowinger Maddison at the CD player and cassettedeck.
Mr Boden took us through Ivor Gurney's life. from his birth in Gloucester
where his father was a tailor. He sang in the Cathedral choir but was always a
little eccentric. Gurney's great life-long friend, Will Harvey, was also a poet
and an influence. A confidante was Margaret Hunt who lived in Gloucester with
her sister.She was almost old enough to be his mother. He wrote music for her
which sheboth playedon the piano and sang.When Gurney wentto London to the
Royal College of Music in l9l I he did not belong there. But it was there that
he met Miss Marion Scottwho was lvor's seniorby thirteen years.They remained
friends for the rest of his life and she was a great help and comfort. It was
at the RCM that he also met Herbert Howells. Gurney's mental and physical
health broke down and he was to be in an asylum from 1922to his death from
tuberculosisin 1937.
A discussionof Branch businessfollowed the talk. Frank Wilson agreedto be
Secretary and John Herbert Treasurer so as to allow Alice Jones to have a
break. She hopes to arrange the future meetings and is most grateful to them
for their stirling help. A good number of members then expressedan interestin
visiting Michael Green at his home in Bewdley, Worcester.on 20 June where he
would presenta talk entitled'The French Connection'.
Alice Jones
31
MIDLANDS BRANCH DINNER
On l6 May membersof the Midlands Branch of the Delius Societymet in the Edale
Suiteof the Midland Hotel. Derby.to honour Branch Chairman Richard Kitching
by marking both his 60th birthday and his retirement and recognising his
sterling efforts on their behalf in organising almost thirty years of Society
meetings.
It was a pleasure to welcome. in addition to Richard and his lady. Wyn.
specialguestsRoland Gibson. founclerof the Society.and his wife Jean.Robert
and Joan Threlfall. and Midlands Branch members who still travel great
distancesto be at the meetings.including Ray Osborne,now living in Dorset.
After a reception in the adjacent Cheedale Room, the assembledcompany
seatedthemselvesaround a long table to avail themselvesof a menu consisting
a Salad Dieppoise. roast leg of lamb with boulangere potatoes, cauliflower
Mornay and fine beans. and Beignet souffl6s with fruit syrup, followed by
cheeseand biscuits and coffee with cream - a repast well up to the usual high
standardof Midlands Branch comestibles- washeddown with copious quantities
of fine red and white wines.
After the dinner came the speeches- Chris Redwood waxing lyrical about his
early memories of meeting Richard and in particular the lOth anniversary
performance on 12 April 1975in Brian and Joan Dunn's lovely music room in
Nottingham when a blackbird, perched on the overhead skylight, was moved to
join in the Ruggieri Quartet's fine performance of Late Swallowsfrom Delius's
String Quartet - a first for the Branch and a size of ensembleyet not equalled
at London meetings. Jerry Rowe. who was in the chair and had organised the
gathering. then invited Brian Dunn to make a presentation to Richard. He
recounted their first meeting in a Nottingham pub, excursions up mountains
complete with umbrella, and the four visits to the 1962 Delius Centenary
Festival in Bradford which eventually resulted. after Richard had attended
Society meetings in London, in him being asked to form the Branch. As a token
of thanks from the assembledcompany. Brian then presentedRichard with four
full scores from the Collected Edition. namely Sea Drift, The song of the high
hills, Songsof sunset and Sorgs offarewell.
Richard responded with a witty speech which managed to bring in everyone
present, calling for applause for their contributions, not least that of Wyn,
as hostessesat meetings.He also mentioned that the last formal dinner had
been at Nottingam in November 1974to celebratethe Branch's lOth anniversary
andthatsomehowa 20th anniversarycelebrationhad notbeen held. Hewas quite
clearly delighted with the gifts. and he then invited the company to rise and
drink a toast to the immortal memory of Frederick Delius. coupled with that of
Eric and Rowena Fenby.
Lyndon Jenkins then asked to be allowed to add a few remarks of his own
about his long friendship with Richard. injecting some of his typical dry
humour to round off some excellent speeches.
Our grateful thanks to Jerry Rowe for the excellent arrangements, and to
Peter Tiotman and Robert Threlfall for their part in ensuring that the most
appropriate full scores were presented to Richard to make what, for him I am
32
sure.was a memorable evening.Those attending, in addition to Richar<tand Wyn
and the special guests already mentioned. were Jerry Rowe. Arthur and Jean
Speed'Fred and Clarice Clements,Shirley Clover.Graham and Gwen Parsons.Ray
Osborne,Brian and Joan Dunn. Peterand MargaretTrotman. Roy Price,Chris and
Dawn Redwood, Mike and Sonia Cheadle. PeterThorp. Joyce Foster,Peter and
Wenda Williams, Lyndon Jenkins,and Brian and Jo Radford.
Brian Radford
OBITUARY
srR CHARLES GROVES (1915-1992\
Sir charles Groves fits an ideal of the great musician. He is a man
of strength and humility. warm with courtesy and grace. He has the
rich gifts of sharp ear. sharp eye, a lively senseof humour. and a
firm eflicient command over all situations.
These words were written by the composer Patric Standford as a 75th birthday
tribute to Sir Charles Groves whose death in June will have saddenedmusicians
and music-lovers alike. A conductor with an extremely broad repertoire. he was
ever a champion of British music. from the most recent scores to the neglected
and forgotten works of earlier periods. It was appropriate that it should be he
who gave the long-awaited premidre of Malcolm Arnold's Ninth Symphony.
broadcast only a few weeksbefore Sir Charles's death.
While a student at the Royal College of Music he was involved in Beecham's
performances there of A VillageRomeo and Juliet. No conductor since Beecham
has given such service to the music of Delius as Sir Charles has. Indeed. the
operas apart, there is scarcely a Delius work with orchestra that he has nor ar
one time conducted.in a good number of casesmany times.He had chargeof one
Delius opera. Koanga. at Sadler's Wells in 1972, which he subsequently
recorded.While at Liverpool. where he not only broke newground by programming
all the symphonies of Shostakovich and Mahler, he also did sterling work for
Delius. performing nearly all the choral and orchestral scores and recording
many of them. He brought Delius to the festivals: Sea Dri,ft and,The Song of the
High Hills to the 1973 York Rstival, Songsof Farewell to the 1983 Brighton
Festival. the rare melodram a Paa Viddemeto the 1984Cheltenham Festival, Sea
Drift to the 1989 Nottingham Festival. and just before that a fitting climax to
his career, the Mass of Life to the 1988 Proms. Referring to the Prelude to
Part Two, Michael Kennedy wrote: 'I shall count myself lucky if I ever hear
this passageperformed better.'Antony Payne admirably summed it up: 'Sir
Charles was the hero . . . This was a performance we will long recall and be
grateful for.'His 1966Liverpool performance of the Requiem was a milestone.
So too was his first Mass of Life there in 1970, a work of which he was
subsequently to give more performances than any other conductor, taking it to
JJ
Holland, Switzerland and Japan. He broke from past performance tradition in
this country by having his choirs sing in German and by restoring the interval
to its rightful place. And then who else would have dared, as he did at that
memorable Prom. take the work through without a break?
His effortsto savetheBournemouth Municipal Orchestrafrom extinction have
become almost legendary. [t was there that he had to perform music of all types
- a diversity and a work load that would astound many people today. His
previous experience as conductor of the BBC's Theatre. Renre and Northern
Orchestras held him in good stead.Yet even when trying to win an audience with
frankly popular programmes he never lowered his aims. As he wrote in 1952to
'l
the BBC Controller of the Light Programme: have set myself in my first year
here a definite standard of music for each of the audiences which I am trying
to reach.The Saturday Pop (and. believe me.I am immensely keen on the idea)
fits exactly into my scheme for presenting the best in light music to an almost
non-musical audience;at the sametime I have scrupulouslyavoided playing any
music which could not be considered suitable to be played by a symphonic
orchestra . . . I am dead against the usual kind of Selection . . . We have
steadfastlyrefusedto include musical comedy selectionsin our programmesancj
I should feel very sorry to lower the flag after having publicly stated my
programme policy.'
Sir Charles was a fighter. and he fought every bit as much for the music of
Delius. While we mourn his death. it is with a deeper senseof gratitude that
we shall remember him.
S.F.S.L.
NEWSROTJND-UP
O We congratulateMr Robert Montgomery on his appointment as adviserto the
Delius Trust. We also offer our best wishes to Trustee Meredith Davies on the
occasion of his 70th birthday this year. Inclucled with this issue,by courtesy
of the Delius Trust, is a copy of their latest information pack. Delius 18621934:A Short Guide to his Life and Works, which includes a short biography. a
bibliography, a discography. a list of works. a list ol the Collected Edition
and other publications, and a short history of the Trust. This is er revised
version of the 1984brochure also sentto all members.
O For reasons of other work commitments as well as the travel distances
involved. Diane Eastwoodhas decidedto stepdown from the Committee.and those
members presentat this year'sAGM at Scarborou-ehshowed their appreciation for
her very considerablework on the Society'sbehalf. The vacancythus createdwas
filledby RichardKitching.Chairmanofthe Midlands Branch.whowasunanimously
electedat the AGM and whom we welcome on to the Committee.
O On 24 January at the Royal Festival Hall. Vladimir Ashkenazy conducted the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Delius's Paris, a work which he and the
orchestra had taken on their tour of European cities. an itinerary that
presumably included the city that inspired the work.
34
O The 32nd AnnualJacksonville Delius Festivaltook place on -5.6 & 7 March.
The main musicalevent,in addition to the Delius CompositionAward Concert.was
an enterprising programme consisting of songs and vocal extracts.with piano.
from Koanga, Margot La Rouge andA Village Ronteoand Juliet. The dedication of
the Delius Monument on the final day is reportedelsewherein this issue.
O The Delius Society.Philadelphia Branch, l5th anniversaryconcerton 25April
i ncluded Herbert Howells' Rh apsodyNo 4 for organ.his Three Dancesfor Violi n
and Orchestra in a piano reduction by Richard Platt, lour organ transcriptions
of works by Delius. Heseltine's reduction of Delius's Violin Concerto, and a
SymphonicImprovisationinThreeMovementson
DeliusThemesbyBruceShultz.The
performerswereDavyd Booth.Michael Stairs,Harry Wilkinson and BruceSchultz.
O On 5 May BBC Radio 3's Drama Now series included The Cello and the
Nightingale. a play by Patricia Cleveland-Peck that dramatised Beatrice
Harrison's famous broadcastswith the nightingales.The musicwasperformed by
Julian Lloyd Webber.
O Deliu s was BBC'Composer ofthe Week'for the weekbeginning Monday 8 June.
The programmes were repeated late at night the tbllowing week, enabling
listeners unusually to hear the closing sections of A Mass of Lrfe past the
midnight hour. This series also included the first complete broadcast of six
early part-songsrecentlypublished by Thames Publishing in collaboration with
the Delius Tiust as a Supplement to Volume l7 of the Collected Edition. While
this publication includes English versions by Lionel Carley. in the broadcast
they were sung in German and. for the last of the set,in Norwegian.
O The second concert.on Saturday l8 July. of the 98th seasonof Henry Wood
PromenadeConcertsincluded Delius's Double Concerto with Thsmin Little and
Raphael Wallfisch and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestraconductedby Vernon
Handley. This concertwhich was to have beenconductedby Sir CharlesGroveswas
in the event dedicated to his memory. Before the start of the second half John
Drummond, Director of the Concerts. paid a warm tribute to Sir Charles.
mentioning his 1988Prom performan ce of Massof Life. Aletter was sent the BBC
suggestingthat a re-broadcast of that concert might be the most fitting tribute
to Sir Charles, remembering his long devotion to the music of Delius. but the
reply stated that with the already scheduled repeat of the 1966SargenrMass.
another broadcastof that work was unlikely within the spaceof six months. Yet
a repeat at a later stagewas not ruled out.
O During the interval of the Promenade Concert broadcast on Friday 3l July.
Lyndon Jenkins. with recorded contributions liom Dr Fenby, spoke about the
origins of Brigg Fair which featured in the second half of the concert given by
Matthias Bamert and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
O A spin-off from Delius: A Life in Letters? Lionel Carley is currently
working on GriegandDelius:A Correspondence.to
be published by Marion Boyars
in 1993. He talks to the Society on Grieg on 19 January gee Forthcoming
Events).
O Under Miss Hide Kido's excellent editorship, the British Music in Japan
Newsletterhas reachedits seventhissue.
O EMI have re-issued Beecham's 1946 VillageRomeo and Juliet. originally a 24
side two volume Delius fellowship 78 set.The Dark Fiddlerwas Gordon Clinton,
35
and this 2-CD set CMS 164386-2also includes the first releaseof that singer's
SeaDrift, SirThomas again conducting.
O Barry Wordsworth conducts the LSO in a Collins Classics CD 1336-2that
include Bngg Fair, The Walk to the Paradise Garden, In a summer garden, On hearing
thef rstcuckoo in spring, Summer night on the river,La calinda, A song beforesunrise
and Summer evening.
O Mark Doran at Liverpool University is currently researching Robert Simpson,
Deryck Cooke and Hans Keller, and requestsany members possessingrelevant
programme notes. correspondence or recordings that would assist him in his
researchto contact him at 37 Poulton Road. Wallasey.Wirral L49 DD.
O Gordon Lovgreenhas once againprovided an analysisofBBC Radio 3'sDelius
output. During the first five months of this year. of the twenty-one items, only
one was a live broadcast (Pariswith Ashkenazy) and only five were works of more
than l5 minutes'duration. 2l works yielded about 47+hours of Delius. compared
with just over 4 hours from 25 works (including six songs) during the similar
period the previous year. Now that Radio 3 is fast becoming the station of
continuous music wall-paper (cricket permitting), it will be interesting to see
how Delius faresin 1993.
O It is with much regret that we report the deaths of three of our members:
Mr Leslie Bond, of Lewes.East Sussex;MrJocelyn Lubbock,living in Italy; and
Midlands Branch memberMrsJoLang.ofAllestree,Derby.BranchChairman Richard
Kitching writes:'Jo was introduced to the Branch byJerry Rowe and she admitted
at the outset to knowing little about Delius or his music. In typical fashion,
however. she soon remedied this and one of the earliest functions she attended
was the performance of A Mass of Life at Warwick. I felt considerable
trepidation that this was her introduction to a live performance of a Delius
work. I need not have worried; Jo was quite transported by the piece.
Thereafter. until prevented by ill-health, she attended every possible Society
meeting.Jo will be sadly missedat our future meetings.'
CORRESPONDENCE
FROM: Richard Warren Jr. Connecticut. USA
In the record review of the new CD of the Delius Cello Concerto on pages 3I-32
'no
recordings existing' of Alexandre Barjansky's
of Journal 108, you refer to
playing. I wonder what this means about the authenticity of a recording held in
theYaleCollectionofHistorical SoundRecordings:HandelConcertoinGminor,
'Alexander
on three sides of 78 rpm Parlophone E1M07-8, ca 1928,credited to
Barjanski' as cellist. I have also seen the name listed in advertisements for a
new Pearl CD set of historic cello recordings but have not seen a full list of
contents (perhaps this contains another recording). It would be interesting to
know whether or not the cellists'Barjansky' and'Barjanski'might be the same
and thus represent the first interpreter of the Delius Concerto. If so, there
might exist some slight basis on which to judge his style and phrasing in at
least one work - too bad it is not Delius.
36
FROM: JoyceEynon. Epping.
I wondered if your readers might be interested to hear of a most enjoyable
course that took place earlier this year. Wansfell College.Theydon Bois, Essex
has at least four week-ends every year devoted to music appreciation. At the
suggestion of a regular student at the college (myselfl) a week-end on the
life and music of Delius was arranged.We were fortunate to discover that one
of our music lecturerswas himself a Delius enthusiast and is in fact a member
of your Society.John East gave us a most rewarding and enchanting week-end.
There were some studentswho hardly knew the works of Delius at all, and others
who enjoyed hearing well-loved f avouritesbut were eagerto discoverunfamiliar
'discoveries'
works. My own
were A Mass of Life and Sea Drift. Everyone was
fascinated by the colourful and varied life of Delius. and. as a result of the
week-endcourse.manywill havecometolove his music.One memberevenjoined
the Delius Society!
FROM: Harold Dennis. Southampton.
lmpressions ofl VillageRomeoandJuliet BBC2
First. what a great idea for a venue. as nezlr as the original conception as
just as
possible.I should imagine. The backgrounds were beautiful and rug-ued.
Delius imagined and as the score delineates.Musically it was so refined. The
significanceof the Dark Fiddler came through so superbly and the action was so
well co-ordinated. The innocence of the children was so effective. the
progression into manhood excellently transformed. the growing-up reflected
musically. The'accident'was realistic without too much shock. The vagabond
sceneswere very effective and the contrast of the children's reactions (I call
them children becauseof their complete rornantic innocence)visually very good.
The gradual resolution of the two benighted youngstersis so well worked out
and visurallyvery effective.I believea great performance . . .
FORTFICOMINGEVENTS
Saturday l9 September
Bath
Delius SocietySouth-WestBranch meeting:Ron Bleach talking on'Elgar and the
theatre'with referenceto Delius's Hassan.The hosts will be John and Betty
Herbert.
37
Wednesday23 Septemberat 7 p.m.
B.M.I.C., l0 Stratford Place.London Wl
Delius Society meeting: Sidonie Goossens,in conversation with Stephen Lloyd,
reminisces over a unique career. This meeting provides the Society with an
opportunity of expressing with affection its gratitude to one of its strongest
supporters,Sidonie'slate husband, Norman Millar.
Sunday 4 October at 3 p.m.
P h i l a d e l p h i a .U S A
Delius Society. Philadelphia Branch, concert at Church of St Andrew and St
Monica. 36th & Baring Streets,with instrumental music by Delius, ColeridgeThylor, Cyril Scott,Robin Milford, Grainger, Ronald Stevensonand Ethel Smyth.
$10 admission includes reception.
Saturdayl0 Octoberat 7.30p.m.
Limpsfield,Surrey
ConcertbytheHarrisonSistersTrustPlayers
with instrumentalmusicperformed
by Elizabeth Moore (cello),John Mills (guitar).Robert Gibbs (violin) and
OliverDavies(piano),and a selection
of Englishsongs.
Saturday I 0 October at 7.30p.m.
Woodborough. Notti ngh amshi re
Delius SocietyMidlands Branch meeting:'Delius and Edvard Munch', a talkby
Lionel Carley. at I I Pinfold Crescent.Woodborough. Notts.
Tuesday
20Octoberat 7 p.m.
B.M.I.C..10StratfordPlace.LondonWl
An eveningwith Delius and Warlock: a joint meeting of the Delius and Warlock
Societies.
Friday6 Novemberat 7.30p.m.
BletchinglyArtsCentre
A talk on BeatriceHarrisonby FelixAprahamianand MargaretHarrison,followed
by a recitalgiven by the Harrison SistersTrust Players,including somesongs
by Quilterandchamberworks
by Delius.
Saturday21Novemberat 7.30p.m.
Weston Underwood. Derbv
Delius Society Midlands Branch meeting: a piano recital by Robert Threlfall at
the home of Branch Chairman Richard Kitching,'Ravensdale', Bullhurst Lane,
Weston Underwood. Ashbourne, Derby DE64PA.
38
Thursday26Novemberat 7 p.m.
B.M.I.C.,l0 StratfordPlace,London Wl
'DeliusDeliusSocietymeeting:
a personalview'presented
by RichardKitching.
Chairmanof the Midlands Branch
Wednesday9 December
Wigmore Hall, London
A Beatrice Harrison centenary recital, given by Julian Lloyd Webber and John
Lenehan, including the Sonatas of Delius and John lreland, the slow movement of Elgar's Cello Concerto. and the pieces that Beatrice played to the
nightingales.
r993
Tuesdayl9Januaryat7 p.m.
B.M.LC., l0 Stratford Place, London Wl
Delius Societymeeting:Lionel Carleytalks on EdvardGrieg to mark the l50th
birth.
anniversaryof the composer's
Tuesdav26Januarv
Nottingham
A Nottingham Music Club recital given by Tasmin Little, with Martin Roscoe
(piano), to include Delius's SonatasNos 2 and 3.
Saturday6February
Menuhin Room.Guildh all. Portsmouth
Delius Day School,run by PortsmouthLeisureServicedepartment,with tutors
LewisForeman,StephenLloyd.RoderickSwanstonandTerryBarfoot.Enquiries
Ticketsf8
to City Arts Office,Guildhall, PortsmouthPOI 2AD (0705834182).
(studentsf4) from 0705824355.
Sundayl4 Februaryat 2.30p.m.
Philadelphia, USA
Delius Society, Philadelphia Branch, concert at the Church of the Holy Trinity,
Rittenhouse Square: an all-English programme of madrigals and part-songs
including Delius's ,Tb be sung of a summer night on the water. A Society party
will follow the concert.
39
Tuesdayl6 Februaryat7 p.m.
B.M.I.C.,
l0 Stratford
Place.
LondonWl
'Delius's musical
Delius Societymeeting:
apprenticeship',a presentationby
RobertThrelfall to mark his 75thbirthdav.
Monday 22February
Colston Hall. Bristol
Delius's Songsof Farewell,with Richard Hickox conducting the Bournemouth
SymphonyOrchestra.
Thursdav25March
Bedford
ABedfordMusicClub recitalgivenbyThsminLittle.with Martin Roscoe(piano),
to includeDelius'sSonataNo2andtheworldpremidreofa Sonataby David Earl
commissionedbv ThsminLittle.
Thursday25March at7 p.m.
B.M.I.C..l0 StratfordPlace.London Wl
Delius Sociefy meeting: a talk by Lyndon Jenkins on Brigg Fair and In a Summer
Garden.
Thursday15April
PurcellRoom.London
A lunch-time recital given by Tasmin Little, with Martin Roscoe(piano), to
includeDelius'sSonataNo2.
Friday l6April
BBC Radio 3. Manchester
A lunch-time broadcastrecital given by Thsmin Little. with Martin Roscoe
(piano),to includeDelius'sSonataNo 2.
Monday 19April
Maidenhead
AMaidenhead Music Society recital given byThsmin Little, with Martin Roscoe
(piano), to include Delius's Sonata No 2.
Wednesday5 May at 7 p.m.
B.M.LC..l0 StratfordPlace.LondonWl
Delius Society meeting: Stephen Lloyd presents a centenary assessmentof the
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.